On January 20, six EU-CORD members gathered for the second of our annual Breakfast events for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The full room in the early hours of the morning fostered a warm and hopeful atmosphere, aligning political, faith, and community perspectives—something much needed in our times.
The objectives of the EU-CORD Breakfast event have always been twofold:
1. To bring together politicians across the spectrum of political standing and engage them in a dialogue that would not otherwise be possible.
2. To utilise our Christian values to provide hope and reflection while ensuring that the voices of affected communities are clearly heard in the EU arena.
This event, co-hosted by MEP Hildegard Bentele, the Development Committee Rapporteur on the Global Gateway, saw the return of four MEPs from our first event, along with nine new attendees from various political groups and countries. This time, our focus was on whether the EU’s Global Gateway can successfully translate the Sustainable Development Goals into mutually beneficial partnerships that can deliver results even in regions experiencing high levels of conflict-related mortality.
Our emphasis was on peace because global peace has continued to decline, with conflict resolution at its lowest in 50 years. Yet, the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) process forecasts deep budget cuts to peace-building efforts while increasing defence and armament budgets.
Our speaker, Ephrem Shiferaw, the Regional Strategic Advisor for East Africa at Woord en Daad, has witnessed the effects of war in Tigray and understands how infrastructure can either promote peace or catalyse conflict. In his speech in Strasbourg, he made several important points:
- Development does not begin with money, but with trust.
- Recovery is necessary after conflict, but it requires more than just infrastructure.
- The EU Global Gateway projects can serve as both investment and development initiatives if they:
- Embed conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding into every project
- Mandate the involvement of local communities, civil society organisations, and regional actors in project design and oversight,
- Ensure transparency and accountability at every level,
- Align all European-supported initiatives rigorously with national priorities and remain responsive to shifting contexts.
Rina Molenaar, CEO of Woord en Daad, who attended, stated,
Without local involvement, alignment quickly becomes just a phrase. With local ownership, it can become a lever for peace, dignity, and future prospects.
Rina Molenaar
The discussion following Mr Shiferaw’s input recognised the challenges that the Gateway projects face and highlighted the importance of civil society organisations. Emphasis was placed on the need to acknowledge partner country needs to avoid a top-down EU approach, while ensuring that administrative burdens do not hinder vital progress when partner countries request assistance.
The great turnout, lively interactions, and the MEPs’ appreciation of the event confirmed what we have always believed:
- Dialogue across all political parties is not only preferred; it is necessary.
- Faith-based actors play a critical role in building bridges among different political figures.
- The voices of affected communities in EU partner countries are vital and can enrich EU decision-making.
As members of EU-CORD, we should be inspired by the success of this political event and fuelled to ensure our voices are heard. However, it should also prompt us to reflect on the questions I posed to the MEPs on that early Tuesday morning in my devotional: In your sphere of influence today, will you be a peace initiator? Will you act with integrity, regardless of how others respond? Will you extend the work of reconciliation as far as your reach allows.
In Romans 12:18, Paul states, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” We all have a daily choice to pursue peace. As we advocate for investment in peacebuilding, let us also commit to living in peace ourselves, as far as it depends on us.
